Coach Hue Jackson: Sky isn’t falling, Raiders in transition

It was darker than usual in the press room during coach Hue Jackson’s weekly news conference Monday, but that had everything to do with the lighting and nothing to do with a change in Jackson’s typical sunny disposition.
“No lights today?” Jackson asked. “Really dark in here today. Everybody think, all of a sudden it’s sorrow Monday or something? It’s not.”
No, Jackson said, it’s just the day after a bad loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and something that will be forgotten once the Raiders get through what he termed a transitional phase.
The biggest transition, of course, is weaving in quarterback Carson Palmer to an offense that performed well under Jason Campbell the first games but struggled under the guidance of Kyle Boller and Palmer on Sunday, with lead running back Darren McFadden sidelined for most of the game with a sprained right foot.
“Just a couple weeks ago, we were one of the better offenses in this league,” Jackson said, “and now all of a sudden, it’s like the wheels fell off. No, the wheels didn’t fall off. We didn’t all of a sudden become dumb on offense and not know what we’re doing. What we’re doing is we’re going through a transition period.”
Jackson said he is confident that the transition period won’t take long. Having two weeks before the next game certainly will help Palmer and the rest of the offense get up to speed.
Palmer arrived via trade with the Bengals last Tuesday. He played most of the second half Sunday despite participating in only three practices and memorizing about 10 percent of the playbook — his estimation, by the way.
“We’ve got to speed the process up as fast as we can,” Jackson said. “That’s pretty obvious, what needs to happen. How comfortable is he going to be? I can’t tell you he’s going to know them stone-cold by the time we play Denver, but he’ll have a better grasp of what this guy can do and what that guy can do based on situations because he’s going to have more practice time with those young men.”
Those young men would be the wide receivers. All who were interviewed Monday said they intend to stick around the Bay Area during their four days off during the bye week so that they can work with Palmer in an attempt to expedite the transition phase.

NO ON T.O.?
Veteran wide receiver Terrell Owens is scheduled to conduct a workout in Calabassas, Calif., on Tuesday. Media are invited to attend. So are NFL teams who are intersted in the services of a player with statistics worthy of induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Jackson said he was unaware of the workout. That doesn’t mean the Raiders won’t be there to kick the tires on Owens, to see if he might be able to upgrade the receiving corps.
“Our scouts go and see everybody work out,” Jackson said. “But I’m not actively chasing Terrell Owens, no.”
Jackson reportedly contacted Chad Ochocinco during training camp, when he was available via trade with the Cincinnati Bengals. So, why not Owens?
“I don’t know that he’s healthy yet,” Jackson said. “But anybody can improve the team. We’ve got to improve the team from inside out first. Now we have some pieces and now we just got to go re-piece this thing.”

CIRCUS NOT IN TOWN
There’s a widespread belief that the Raiders weren’t well prepared for the Chiefs on Sunday, in part because Jackson spent too much time toying with the idea of whether to start Palmer or Boller.
Nonsense, Jackson said. Quite the contrary.
“Our team practiced as well as we’ve practiced all year, this past week, and we went into the game and didn’t play that way,” Jackson said. “At the end of the day, a great practice only gives you an opportunity. You’ve got to go to the game and play really well.
“I don’t sense or feel that last week was so much about Carson. If it was, it wasn’t about me making it about Carson.”

MOORE HAS BEEN LESS
Rookie wide receiver Denarius Moore took the league by storm with a fast start this season. Suddenly, the player who looked immune to the pitfalls that tend to affect all rookies is looking like, well, a rookie.
“That’s a direct correlation to where we’ve been at quarterback lately,” Jackson said. “Once we get more stability there,” (things will be fine.) “The whole offense had kind of dropped off the last couple of weeks.”
Moore has 14 receptions for 212 yards and two touchdowns, as well as three rushes for 45 yards and a touchdown. Most of that came during Oakland’s first three games, though.
Perhaps another factor in Moore’s decline owes to the Raiders being 11 games into the season, including the four exhibition games. College players typically play 13 or 14 games, so this is about the time their bodies are accustomed to winding down.
“Players who were college players (last year) are looking at closing out and getting ready for bowl season,” Jackson said. “These guys are starting to exhale a little bit. We’re just now getting ready. Our football team is going to get ready to start playing again soon and getting better.”
Hence, the bye week comes at an ideal time for the rookies, as well as the injured players.
“This is a great time for some of these young guys,” Jackson said, “because we are playing quite a few of them. We need to continue to monitor that so that those guys can finish the season strong.”

MCFADDEN UPDATE
Jackson said running back Darren McFadden has a mid-foot sprain. McFadden walked into the team facility on crutches Monday morning, with his right foot in a protective boot.
McFadden will undergo tests throughout the week to monitor the injury and determine how much time he needs to heal. Jackson said he planned to give McFadden plenty of rest this week anyway.
“I’m hoping to get him back soon,” Jackson said. “I know one thing, one of my plans for him was to get him some rest this week, to get him back up and get him fresh because, obviously, when Darren is rolling, he’s one of the best backs in this league. So, we need to get him healthy.”

BOLLER BETTER THAN EDWARDS
Jackson scoffed at the suggestion that Trent Edwards outperformed Boller during training camp and exhbition games and that Boller made the team at the behest of managing general partner Al Davis.
“I don’t think that Trent outplayed Kyle,” Jackson said. “It was the other way around. We kept the best player based on what we were doing and, if you looked at the numbers, Kyle had played better than Trent.”
Boller was intercepted three times against the Chiefs before he was replaced by Palmer early in the third quarter. Even so, Jackson said he still feels comfortable using Boller if the need arises.
“There’s no question in my mind,” Jackson said.
He added that the way things unfolded wasn’t all Boller’s fault. The play of the offensive line and the receivers goes into it, as well.
“It was unfortunate and … when you see interceptions, the first thing you think is it’s the quarterback all the way,” Jackson said. “But it’s more than one person. It’s an offensive unit. It’s not just Kyle Boller.”

Follow me on Twitter: @corkonthenfl

Steve Corkran

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We are fine with the receivers we got. This team stacked at the WR position. Bring in all the O-linemen and DB’s you want…but WR is the last thing we need to f’ with…lets just get back on the same page with our QB and we will be fine..
PS. UFCK Adam Shine!

ElkGRaider

JLofty!! Looked for you man!! Didnt see you bro. Just got back and boy…disney is taking everybodys money. The ESPNZone was packed homie!

LA to TheBay

Impressed that the Raiders practicing today (Tues usually day off), unless this is normal schedule considering the CBA-mandated 4 day leve.

ElkGRaider

Raiders are fine. Calm the masses. Get the QB up to speed and hopefully heal up DMAC and Rolando and we are good. Had a bad feeling about that one. Who wouldnt with Boller startin??

LA to TheBay

leave*

inonewordraider

Didn’t he give a good lick to Bowe?
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don’t recall. Like Mike alot hope he doesn’t lose reps to Ndukwe

inonewordraider

CorkOnTheNFL Steve Corkran
Cornerback Chimdi Chekwa returns to practice for first time in a couple of weeks. Same can’t be said for cornerback Chris Johnson.
1 minute ago »
CorkOnTheNFL Steve Corkran
Rolando McClain not at practice. Neither is running back Darren McFadden.
2 minutes ago

Mistic1 Tha Supavillain

. “If Jackson sticks to business and subdues his vaudeville tendencies, that’s what will happen.” – mark purdy

Would love to see the Raiders and SD go at it on National TV both at 5-3. That would be an epic battle.

We have to do our part and beat the Donkeys. They should keep MM34 spied on Tebow all game. Tebow is too fast for most LBs and too strong for most DBs. MM34 would be a perfect matchup.
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Yeah, I like that idea.
Would hate to see DVD try to tackle Tebow.

inonewordraider

CorkOnTheNFL Steve Corkran
No new players at practice. Wouldn’t be surprised to see #Raiders make a roster move or two before their next game.

DMAC

Murph should not be seeing the field more than Hagan!

inonewordraider

why would steve think that?

raidertay

After watching Moore on Punts I started thinking that maybe it wasnt all Nick Miller’s fault. The blocking on punt returns dont seem to be up to par.

Raiderbuck

TO could provide some vetern leadership, but I don’t know if he would be a help or a hinderence.

LA to TheBay

Defensive tackle Richard Seymour not practicing. Not sure what is up with him now.
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Givin’ the old man a breather.

Mistic1 Tha Supavillain

# LA to TheBay Says:
October 25th, 2011 at 11:20 am

Up until watching Murphy, I agreed with you 100%, Mistic.

Now not so sure.
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Murph has no business on the field at best he is the 5th best wr on this team. DHB, MOOre, Ford, Chaz Hagan, Murph

721.DMAC Says:
October 25th, 2011 at 11:23 am
Murph should not be seeing the field more than Hagan!
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EXACTLY!! I dont know why they love Murphy so much. Hagan will produce results. No question. With Murphy you have no clue what kind of routes you are gonna get. He looks slow. This should be addressed at practice. Murphy should be producing more at practice over the other guys to be in the game…

TO could provide some vetern leadership, but I don’t know if he would be a help or a hinderence.
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Palmer and T.o watched helplessly as cincy fell apart. Palmer was aloof, and disinterested, T.o was filming reality tv. The result was utter chaos in the locker room, and flat out futility on the field.

CorkOnTheNFL Steve Corkran
Carson Palmer working on timing with his receivers. Ball on target more times than not, with entry of zip.

LA to TheBay

CP3 to DHB.

Get used to it.

inonewordraider

My guess is ford murphy dhb and hagan stick around w/ carson. Do Moore and Schilens?

DMAC

inonewordraider Says:
October 25th, 2011 at 11:36 am

My guess is ford murphy dhb and hagan stick around w/ carson. Do Moore and Schilens?
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I think it depends on who has kids.

RaidingTexas

NFL.com Power Rankings

#11: 4-3 Raiders (-2 spots)

“Going against the ol’ gut feeling, we’re sticking with Oakland, and there’s little wiggle room: 11 through 18 in the rankings are as close as they’ve ever been. Oakland handled the Jets and beat the Texans in Houston. Thus, they’re 11th almost by default. In other news, my prediction of the Raiders going on a roll got Boller’d on Sunday. At one point, the backup was 5 of 10, with three picks. That’s OK, Carson Palmer made up for it by also throwing three balls to the other guys. Right now, Darren McFadden’s foot sprain is of primary concern with Hue Jackson’s offense getting little production from its quarterback. The bye week is perfect to get No. 20 healthy and Palmer reacquainted with football.”

Brighten up, dimwits. He hasn’t cost two first round picks because the 2013 pick is only a first if the Raiders make the AFC championship game in 2011 or 2012. Let’s ask ourselves what it would take for him to cost two first rounders.

To get a first round bye, the Raiders would have to have a better regular season record than the Steelers, Ravens, Jets, Chargers, Bengals, Bills and Texans (assuming Pats win homefield throughout). And they’d still have to beat one of those teams in a Divisional playoff game, albeit with home field advantage.

Without a first round bye, they’d have to win a Wildcard game at home (assuming Raiders win the West as the path to playoffs), then go on the road in cold weather and beat either the Patriots or a team like the Steelers or Ravens.

Any QB that can thread either of those needles with a team that otherise looks like the Raiders did against KC is worth four first round draft picks and a Nobel Prize.

RaiderReggie

Leave T.O right at home. He will come in and totally destroy these young receivers confidence. He would want CP to throw him the ball even in triple coverage. Don’t do it!

DMAC

New post

raiderinparadise

CHAZ DONT HAVE KIDS LOL

ElkGRaider

Man…Russell sounds like a true loser in life with that interview. How many excuses do you need? There is a reason no other of the 31 teams in the NFL have given you a shot…

RAIDERMAN99

Been rethinking the Palmer trade over and over again.

I understand why the trade was made, but I can’t convince myself it was a good one.

The only thing that can change my mind is if CP plays lights out for about 4 years and we win a SB, or if his play takes us to the playoffs for several years.

That’s really the only way the trade can be validated.

I just can’t come to terms with giving up a one and a two (possibly two number one’s) for Palmer.

Of course, it’s easy to second guess Hue. The Raids were in a bad situation. My personal opinion is that JC wasn’t going to be the answer going forward anyway, but the question remains – What were the Raids going to do for the remainder of this season ?

The options were few. Try to pick up a vet off the scrap heap ? Slim pickings, and who’s really out there ? Probably not a good avenue. Hard to envision this option salvaging the season.

The other option was to go with Boller as long as possible, hope for the best, and if he flamed out as anticipated move on to Pryor. Also a scenario not likely to salvage the season, but at least by the end of the year we’d have a better idea of what TP was capable of down the line and some more draft picks to use accordingly.

Obviously(Hue!), the Raids were between a rock and a hard place. You want to salvage the season, win now if possible – but you also have to be cognizant of the danger of making a bad decision that could hurt the franchise for years to come.

If Palmer saves the season and solidifies the QB position for several years then this will go down as a decent trade. If not, we’re going to be second guessing it for a long time.

I’m hoping Palmer is able to deliver, but I’m skeptical he will.

Either way, I don’t feel comfortable about the deal. Think we paid too much out of desperation. Try as I might, I can’t convince myself this was the right long term move.